Strawberry picking time is finally here, and it doesn’t get any better than getting outside and enjoying the beautiful weather while reaping these sweet treats.

These delicious berries are an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of foliate and potassium. Strawberries are also packed with antioxidants and loaded with fiber — 3 grams per cup.

Strawberry Salad with Chicken

Dressing:

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon water

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:

4 cups torn romaine lettuce

4 cups arugula

2 cups quartered strawberries

1/3 cup vertically sliced red onion

12 ounces skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast, sliced

2 tablespoons unsalted cashews, halved

1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese

Dressing: Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Gradually drizzle in oil, stirring constantly with a whisk.

Salad: Combine romaine and next 4 ingredients (through chicken) in a bowl; toss gently. Place about 2 cups chicken mixture on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cashews and 2 tablespoons cheese. Drizzle about 4 teaspoons dressing over each serving.

Strawberry Salsa

1 cup finely chopped strawberries

1/4 cup finely chopped peeled avocado

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; toss gently. Serve immediately. Serve this sweet and savory salsa with sautéed fish, grilled pork tenderloin, grilled chicken or even as a snack with baked chips.

Strawberry Lemon Crush

1/2 cup super fine sugar

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup water

1 cup stemmed and halved strawberries

1 cup unflavored sparkling water or soda water

Cracked ice

Fresh mint sprigs, garnish

In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine the sugar, lemon juice and water, and stir to dissolve the sugar. In the bender, combine the strawberries and sweetened water. Puree on high speed until smooth. Add the sparkling water and pulse to incorporate. Taste and add more sugar if desired, and pulse to incorporate.

Place cracked ice in 2 tall Collins glasses. Pour the strawberry crush over the ice, garnish with mint sprigs, and serve.

Lightened Up Strawberry Shortcake

1 tablespoon calorie-free sweetener

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup orange juice

1/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries (about 1 pint)

6 sponge cake dessert shells (5-ounce package)

Combine sweetener and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Stir in orange juice. Bring to a boil; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat, and stir in extract. Cool completely.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin. Add pureed strawberries, eggs, oil and water. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (10-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed

1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract

7 cups confectioners’ sugar

Freshly sliced strawberries, for garnish, optional

In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree and the strawberry extract. (The rest of the puree is leftover but can be used in smoothies or on ice cream for a delicious treat.) Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth.

Spread frosting in between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with sliced fresh strawberries, if desired.